Generally, when a color photographic light-sensitive material is exposed to light image-wise and then color-developed, the oxidized p-phenylenediamine derivative reacts with couplers to form an image. In this system, color reproduction by the subtractive color technique is used, and, to reproduce blue, green, and red colors, dye images are formed that are yellow, magenta, and cyan in color, respectively complementary to blue, green, and red.
Color development is achieved by immersing a light-exposed color photographic light-sensitive material in an aqueous alkali solution having a p-phenylenediamine derivative dissolved therein (a color developer). However, there is a problem that the p-phenylenediamine derivative in an aqueous alkali solution is unstable and is apt to deteriorate over time, and in order to retain stable development performance, the color developer must be replenished frequently. Further, the disposal of used color developers containing a p-phenylenediamine derivative is burdensome, and together with the above frequent replenishment, the treatment of used color developers discharged in large quantities gives rise to a serious problem. Thus, there is a strong demand for the attainment of low replenishment and reduced discharge of color developers.
One effective measure proposed for attaining low replenishment and reduced discharge of color developers is a method wherein an aromatic primary amine developing agent or its precursor is built in a hydrophilic colloid layer of a light-sensitive material, and examples of the aromatic primary amine developing agents or their precursors that can be built in include compounds described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,507,114, 3,764,328, and 4,060,418, and JP-A ("JP-A" means unexamined published Japanese patent application) Nos. 6235/1981 and 192031/1983. However, since these aromatic primary amine developing agents and their precursors are unstable, there is the defect that, when the unprocessed light-sensitive material is stored for a long period of time or is color-developed, stain occurs. Another effective measure proposed is a method wherein a sulfonylhydrazine-type compound, as described, for example, in European Patent Nos. 0545491A1 and 565165A1, is built in a hydrophilic colloid layer of a light-sensitive material. However, the sulfonylhydrazine-type compounds listed therein still cannot attain satisfactory color density when chromogenically developed, and there is the problem that, when the sulfonylhydrazine-type compound is used with a two-equivalent coupler, the color formation is little. In comparison with four-equivalent couplers, two-equivalent couplers have such merits that stain originating in the couplers can be reduced, the activity of the couplers is easily adjusted, and coupling split-off groups in couplers can be allowed to have various functions. It is desired to develop a technique that can utilize these merits.
On the other hand, a dye obtained from a hydrazine compound, such as a carbamoyl hydrazine compound, and a dye-forming coupler is a dissociating-type dye that dissociates to form color. Therefore, color images cannot be obtained unless the dye is dissociated by immersion into an alkali solution after a color development treatment. However, under such a condition that the dye is dissociated, a remaining hydrazine compound itself is dissociated, and this dissociated compound tends to react with the coupler, to bring about the problem of causing considerable stain during long-time storage after the treatment.